Portable escalator



May 8, 1962 F. CORYELL PORTABLE ESCALATOR 7 Sheets-Sheet l Fi1ed June l,1959 INVENTOR Floyd Cor yell;

ATTORNEY May 8, 1962 F. CORYELL PORTABLE ESCALATOR 7 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed June 1, 1959 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jloyd 007 922 May 8, 1962 F.CORYELL PORTABLE ESCALATOR 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 1, 1959 INVENTORd Coryell lb 3/ m ATTORNEY 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ZYqya (big 21X;

ATTORNEY May 8, 1962 F. CORYELL PORTABLE ESCALATOR Filed June 1, 1959 y1962 F. CORYELL 3,033,340

PORTABLE ESCALATOR Filed June 1, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 &

' ATTORNEY May 8, 1962 F. CQRYELL PORTABLE ESCALATOR 7 Sheets-Sheet 6Filed June 1,

INVENTOR Iioyd Coryel Z ATTORNEY May 8, 1962 F. CORYELL PORTABLEESCALATOR 7 SheetsSheet '7 Filed June 1, 1959 INVENTOR flog/d Kor 11;

ATTORNEY if A gfi 3,033,340

Patented. May 8, 1962 3,033,340 PORTABLE ESCALATOR Floyd Coryell, LosAngeles, Caiii. (6871 Franklin Ave, Hollywood, Calif.) Filed June 1,1959, Ser. No. 817,309 10 Claims. ill. 1%16) This invention relates toan escalator and more particularly to a portable escalator of the typeset forth in an application for United States Letters Patent Serial No.689,205 filed by me Gctober 9, 1957, now US. Patent No. 2,929,482, ofwhich this application is a continuationin-part.

The invention has for its primary object the provision of a power drivenescalator which may be moved from place to place and adjusted to variousheights.

A particular object is to provide an escalator which is adapted for usein an airport as a means for facilitating the loading .and unloading ofpassengers and crew of aircraft.

Another object is to provide an escalator wherein the flight of stepsthereof may be disposed at various inclinations and whereby the upperend of the escalator may be raised and lowered to accommodate it to doorsills of various levels.

Another object is to provide an escalator wherein the runs of endlessconveyors on which steps are mounted may be maintained taut and alsowherein the treads of the steps will be maintained at leastsubstantially horizontal irrespective of various working inclinations ofthe escalator.

With the foregoing objects in view together with such other objects asmay subsequently appear, a preferred embodiment of the invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the escalator;

FIG. 2 is a view in front elevation partly in section .and with portionsbroken away;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the front end portion of the escalator as seenon the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a detail in section and elevation taken on the line 4-4 ofFIG. 2 as seen in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a view in side elevation of the escalator with the hand railportion and other parts removed;

FIG. 6 is a view in section and elevation as seen on the line 6-6 ofFIG. 2 with portions broken away;

FIG. 7 is a detail in cross section as seen on the line 77 of FIG. 6 inthe direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a step of the escalator;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged detail in section of the lower end portion of theescalator as seen on the line 9-9 of FIG. 2, with portions removed;

FIG. 10 is a view in elevation of the rear end of the escalator withparts broken away and parts removed;

FIG. 11 is a view in section and elevation taken on the line ll11 ofFIG. 10 with parts removed;

FIG. 12 is a view in section and elevation as seen on the line 1212 ofFIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross section of the lower end housing taken onthe line I313 of FIG. 5 as seen in the direction of the arrows, portionsbeing removed;

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of a conveyor guiding element shown incross section in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a detail in section and plan as seen on the line 1515 of FIG.5; and

FIG. 16 is a view in section of the escalator housing taken on the linel6l6 of FIG. 1, operating mechanism being removed.

Referring to the drawings more specifically A indicates the escalatorbed which is mounted on wheels B for movement over a supporting surface,and C denotes generally an escalator which as particularly shown in partin FIG. 5 embodies a lower end housing D fixed on the bed A and an upperend housing E connected to the housing D by three superimposed spacedpairs of spaced parallel inclined links comprising an upper pair oflinks F, intermediate pair of links G and a lower pair of links H. Thepairs of links FG are pivotally connected at their lower end to theupper inner portion of the lower housing I) by hinges a and at theirupper ends to the upper portion of the upper housing D by hinges b;while the lower pair of links H are pivotally connected at their lowerend by hinges c to the lower portion of the inner end of a conveyorguiding element I mounted in the lower housing D, and have their upperends connected by hinges d to the lower portion of the upper housing E.

The links FGH have open ended longitudinal channels 2 on their innersides extending throughout the lengths thereof. The channels e of theintermediate pair of links G constitute guideways for the upper run ofan endless conveyor K as shown in FIG. 6; the channels e of the upperpair of links F constitute guideways and supports for the ends of stepsL carried on the conveyor K; and the channels e of the lower pair oflinks G serve as guideways for the lower run of the conveyor and alsofor the ends of steps L mounted on the conveyor.

The conveyor K comprises a pair of spaced parallel endless sprocketchains the return portions of which pass around pairs of sprocket wheels2ti21 located respectively in the lower and upper housings D-E; the pairof sprocket wheels being idlers revolubly mounted on a shaft 22supported in the housing D for movement longitudinally thereof, and thepair of sprockets 21 being drivers fixed on a drive shaft 23 journalledin bearings mounted in the upper housing E. The shaft 22 is fittedadjacent its ends with rollers 24 which are supported in horizontalrunways 25 in the side walls of the housing D where the shaft 22 ismoveable transversely back and forth in the direction of the runs of thesprocket chains to maintain the runs of the chains taut as will be laterdescribed. The drive shaft 23 is journalled in bearings in the housing Eand has an end thereof geared to a reversible electric motor M carriedby the housing E.

The steps L, particularly shown in FIG. 8, embody a rectangular fiattread f and an integral downwardly and inwardly curved front apron g,and mounted on the opposite ends of the steps at the juncture of thetread and apron are rollers 11 which are adapted to traverse thechannels e of the upper and lower pairs of links F and H; the parallelinner margins of the links of each of such pairs being spaced apart toextend contiguous but in spaced relation to the ends of the steps.Projecting from the ends of the step treads, adjacent the inner marginsthereof, are trunnions i the outer ends of which are pivotally engagedwith the sprocket chains of the conveyor K, whereby the steps L arecarried on the conveyor. The steps L are connected to the conveyor insuch spaced relation to each other that the aprons g thereon will extendproximate the inner margins of the steps as shown in FIG. 6. The apronsg are curved inward fromthe treads 1 so that when their outer marginsare disposed proximate the rear margins of an adjacent step the forwardedges of the trends of the so related steps will overhang the treadstherebeheath, as shown in FIG. 6. The upper and intermediate links F andG are arranged in laterally offset and vertically spaced relation toeach other as shown in FIG. 7 so that the treads of the steps traversingthe links F and G will be disposed horizontally or nearly so in angularrelation to the runs of the conveyor, and in order that the treads ofthe several steps may be disposed in alignment with each other and withthe lower runs of the conveyor traversing the lower links H, the latterare formed of a width to underlie the laterally offset links F and G invertical alignment therewith, with the channels e in the links H of adepth to receive the rollers h on the steps, the conveyor chains and thetrunnions i, as shown in FIG. 7.

In order that the rollers 11 on the steps L may be brought into lateralalignment with the runs of the conveyor chains as the steps approach,pass around and leave the sprocket wheels 20-21, the housings D and Eare equipped respectively with guideways 26 and 27 which lead from theends of the channels e in the upper and intermediate links F and Garound the sprocket wheels 20-21 to the ends of the channels e in thelowermost links H.

Means are provided for supporting and raising and lowering the upper endof the escalator which means constitutes an electrically operatedelevator applied to the upper housing E and here shown as comprising apair of screw jacks N-O mounted on the bed A. Each of the jacks N-Oembodies a vertically disposed threaded shaft 28 mounted on andextending through a tubular standard 29 rigidly affixed on the bed A; aninternally threaded beveled gear wheel 30 being screwed on the shaft 28and supported in a yoke 31 afiixed to the upper end of the standard 29whereby the gear wheel is held against movement longitudinally of theshaft on rotation thereof, but on being rotated will advance or retractthe shaft 28. The gear wheels 30 are collectively and uniformly drivenfrom a single power source comprising an electric motor P mounted on thebed A having a driving sprocket wheel 32 on its drive shaft which wheelengages a sprocket chain 33 passed around sprocket wheels 34-34 on studshafts 35-35 journalled in the yokes 31 and having beveled pinions 36thereon engaged with the gear wheels 30 indicated in FIG. 15. Thehousing E is provided with a pair of longitudinally extending parallelrails 37-37 which bear on rollers 38-38 on the upper ends of the shafts28-28 whereby the housing E may move horizontally relative to the shafts28-28 as the latter are moved vertically.

The conveyor guiding element I in the lower housing particularly shownin FIG. 14, is supported at its outer end on and connected to the shaft22, it having slots 40 in its outer end portion to accommodate the idlersprocket wheels 20-20, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. Rollers 41-41 on theforward end portion of the element J revolubly bear on tracks 42-42 inthe housing E whereby the element I is supported for longitudinalmovement relative to the housing E. The element J is composed of a lowersection 43 and an upper section 44 for positioning beneath and above theshaft 22 in engagement therewith and has spaced apart side portions mand n to afford passage therebetween of the escalator steps; the sideportions m and n being connected together by a bottom wall Q. Theguiding element J has horizontal top and bottom walls r-s which serve asguides for horizontal lengths of the upper and lower runs of theconveyor chains leading between the sprocket wheels 20-20 and the lowerends of the links F-G and H.

Means are provided for shifting the shaft 22 laterally to maintain theruns of the conveyor K taut and compensate for variation in the lengthof such runs due to raising or lowering of the upper end of theescalator; which means is controlled by variation of the inclination ofthe lower link H the lower end of which connects with the element J asbefore described. The aforesaid actuating means comprises -a pair ofarms 43-43 pivoted to swing vertically on pivots 44-44 mounted on theupper inner end of the housing E, the arms 43-43 leading downward at aninclination and having their lower free ends engaged by pin and slotconnections 45 with the lower links H at points spaced from their hingedlower ends. Connected to the arms 43-43 by pivots 46 are arms 47 leadingto and connecting with the end portions of the shaft 22 whereby rockingof the arms 43-43 will advance or retract the shaft 20. This movement ofshaft 20 effects a corresponding movement of the element I so as toimpart longitudinal movement of the lower link H and thereby permit thelink H to assume various angular relations to the parallel links F and Gand thus prevent binding of the links.

The escalator embodies a conventional type of traveling hand rails R-Rincluding a pair of hand belts 48-48 mounted on a pair of endlesssprocket chains 49-49 which are spaced above the sprocket chains 49-49which are spaced above the sprocket chains of the conveyor K. The returnbends at the lower ends of the chains 49-49 pass around and are engagedby a pair of idler sprocket wheels 50-50 arranged in housings U-Uerected on the housing D, as shown in FIG. 12. The upper end portions ofthe chains 49-49 pass over direction rollers 52-53 carried on the sidewalls 54-54' of housings V-V fixed to the upper links F-F as shown inFIG. 16, and extend horizontally in fixed housings W-W on the upperhousing E with the upper return bends of the sprocket chains 49-49passing around driven sprocket wheels 55-55 fixed on shafts 56-56 whichare driven by chain gearings 8-8 from the motor driven shaft 23 as shownin FIG. 11. The direction rollers 53 are mounted on spring pressed studshafts and act to take up slack in the hand rail chains 49-49.

As shown in FIG. 16, the inner side walls 54-54 of the portions V-V ofthe hand rail housings are erected from the links F-F, while the outerside walls 54 are mounted on brackets or gussets y carried on the linksF-F and inner side walls 54; the outer side walls 54' being extendedbelow the links F-F to overlie the outer sides of the links G-G and H-Hproximate and in slidable relation thereto. The ends of the housings Vextending above the links F-F are adapted to slidably extend into thecontiguous ends of the end housing U-U and W-W thereby permittingswinging of the portions V-V relative the end portions U-U and W-W onraising and lowering the escalator.

The housing D has a top wall constituting a platform It which has arectangular opening v therein leading from the inner margin of thehousing in which several of the steps L align between the sprocketwheels 20 and the lower end of the links F-G and on which persons standin either approaching or leaving the escalator, stairs T being providedon the rear end of the escalator bed to give access to the platform 11on boarding the escalator or to give egress therefrom on leaving theescalator. The upper housing E has a top wall constituting a platform wwhich has a rectangular opening x leading from its inner edge in whichseveral of the steps align between the upper ends of the links F-G andthe sprocket wheels 21 on which persons stand on either leaving orapproaching the escalator.

In the operation of the invention the escalator is wheeled to a desiredlocation and, if need be, the upper end housing E is raised or loweredby the elevators N-O to bring the platform w on the housing E to adesired level relative to an elevated landing, such as the sill of anaircraft door. The threaded shafts of the elevator 28 serve to retainthe upper end of the escalator in any adjusted position.

On setting the motor M in operation in either direction, the conveyor Kwill be driven accordingly to advance the steps L which in traversingthe inclined links F and G will be disposed with their treads f extendedhorizontally, and when fed by the guideways 25-27 in the housings D-Einto the lower links H, the adjacent treads will be aligned with eachother and will be supported with the lower runs of the conveyor chainsin the channels 2 of the links H. The steps L will then be inverted andthe aprons g thereof will project upwardly from between the links H intothe space between the links H and G as shown in FIG. 6. The hand railsR-R will be moved in unison with the conveyor K.

In raising and lowering the housing E the links F and G will swing inparallel relation to each other with the platform w of the housingmaintained in a horizontal position. In order to permit this movementwith the third links H the latter must be capable of longitudinalmovement relative to the links FG. This movement is afforded byconnecting the lower ends of the links to the moveable element J in thelower housing D so that the links H may move forward when the housing Eis moved upward and will move backward when the housing is lowered thuspreventing binding as would otherwise occur.

Exposed portions of the escalator operating mechanism may be housed inany suitable fashion such as indicated in FIG. 1.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of the invention,I do not limit myself to the exact details of construction set forth andthe invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalents ofthe parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purviewof the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an escalator embodying an upper pair of parallel links, anintermediate pair of parallel links, and a lower pair of parallel links;each of said links having open ended channels extending throughout thelengths thereof, means pivotally supporting said links at one endthereof for vertical swinging movement collectively into variousinclined positions, a housing to which the other ends of said links arehinged, means for raising and lowering said housing, an endless conveyorhaving runs arranged in the channels in said intermediate and lowerlinks, a series of steps mounted on said conveyor, means supportingouter portions of said steps in said upper pair of links, and means fordriving said conveyor.

2. The structure called for in claim 1 in which the means to which saidlower links are pivoted is move'able longitudinally of said conveyor. 7

3. In an escalator embodying lower and upper end housings, spacedsuperimposed pairs of spaced parallel links hingedly connected at theirends relative to said housings comprising an upper pair, an intermediatepair, and a lower pair; said links having open ended channels on theirinner sides extending throughout the lengths thereof, endless conveyorshaving runs within the channels of the intermediate and lower pairs oflinks, pairs of sprocket wheels in said housing engaging the endportions of said conveyor, means for driving one pair of said sprocketwheels, a series of steps pivotally connected to the runs of saidconveyor, rollers on the ends of said steps, and guideways in saidhousing opening to the ends of the channels in the upper and lower pairsof links; said rollers being arranged to traverse said guideways and thechannels in said upper and lower links.

4. The structure called for in claim 3 together with means for raisingand lowering said upper end housing adapted to hold said housing atvarious levels.

5. The structure called for in claim 3 together with means controlled bysaid lower pair of links as they are moved by raising or lowering saidupper housing for shifting the sprocket wheels in said lower end housinglaterally to maintain the conveyor taut.

6. The structure called for in claim 3 in which said guideways in saidhousing direct end portions of said conveyor horizontally between theends of said links and said sprocket wheels.

7. In an escalator, a wheeled bed, a housing mounted on said bed, aplurality of pairs of links hinged relative to said housing for verticalswinging movement, a housing to which the outer ends of said links arehingedly connected, an endless conveyor supported by said housings andlinks, steps mounted on said conveyor, and means for driving saidconveyor, an elevator comprising a pair of vertically extending threadedshafts, rollers on the upper ends of said shafts, rails on said secondhousing seating on said rollers and means on said bed engageable withsaid shafts to effect vertical movement thereof and of said secondhousing.

8. In an escalator, a bed, an end housing fixed on said bed having a topwall and side walls, a shaft mounted on said side walls for lateralmovement, a pair of sprockets on said shaft, a guiding element connectedto said shaft projecting forwardly therefrom within said housing, havinga forward end portion spaced below said top wall, a pair of channeledlinks hinged to said forward end portion of said element, a second endhousing having a top wall and a lower portion, said links having outerends hinged to the lower portion of said second housing, a second pairof channeled links having their ends hinged to the top walls of saidhousings, endless sprocket chains passing around said sprocket wheelsand having runs leading through said pairs of channeled links into saidsecond housing, sprockets in said second housing engaging said chains,means for driving said sprockets; a series of escalator steps pivoted onsaid chains, rollers on the ends of said steps, a third pair ofchanneled links having their ends hinged to the top walls of saidhousings with the links spaced upwardly from said second pair of links;guide means in each of said housings including the guiding elementaforesaid for directing the rollers on said steps as the latter advancewith said chains around said sprocket wheels and into said first andlast named pairs of channeled links, and means for raising and loweringsaid second housing relative to said bed.

9. The structure called for in claim 8 together with a hand rail housingembodying sections mounted on said end housings and an intermediatesection mounted on said last named pair of links.

10. A portable moving stairway having an endless chain of motor drivensteps and comprising a mobile frame support, upper and lower platformmeans, means operative to adjust the inclination of the stairway, eachof the steps having support means at each side, inclined elongated guidemeans at each side of the steps engaged by the support means andpivotally mounted relative to the platform means such that the uppertread of the steps remains horizontal with variation of the inclinationof the stairway, and elongated guide means at the upper and lowerplatform means forming continuations of the inclined guide means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,362,170 Swaisgood Nov. 7, 1944 2,512,150 Geren June 20, 1950 FOREIGNPATENTS 772,722 Great Britain Apr. 17, 1957

